Son of a Perthshire laird, Sir Francis Grant was unusual in being largely self-taught. After spending a substantial inheritance on his great passions – hunting to hounds and collecting paintings, Grant decided to turn his considerable talents to professional use. Despite being one of the most sought after society portrait painters of his day and the only Scottish President of the Royal Academy in London, Queen Victoria observed 'He has decidedly much talent but it is the talent of an amateur'. However, Grant did find favour at court and received commissions by the Queen on several occasions during the 1840's.

The Prince of Wales sits on Queen Victoria's lap while the Princess Royal holds out a biscuit to two of the family's favourite dogs, Eos and Dandie Dinmont. Eos was Prince Albert's favourite greyhound and had accompanied him from Germany in 1840; Dandie Dinmont was the Skye terrier given to the Queen by Prince Albert on her birthday on 24th May 1842. The composition is reminiscent of earlier royal portrait groups by Van Dyck and Ramsay, and the figure of the Queen is similar to that in Grant's life-size portrait painted for the United Service Club and exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1843.

The son of a Perthshire laird, Sir Francis Grant was unusual in being largely self-taught. After spending a substantial inheritance on his great passions – hunting to hounds and collecting paintings, Grant decided to turn his considerable talents to professional use. Despite being one of the most sought after society portrait painters of his day and the only Scottish President of the Royal Academy in London, Queen Victoria observed, 'He has decidedly much talent but it is the talent of an amateur'. However, Grant did find favour at court and received commissions by the Queen on several occasions during the 1840's.

Inscribed on the back with the subject and the names of the artist and sitters.